Posted in: Movies, Paramount Pictures | Tagged: paramount, Scary Movie, scary movie 6

Scary Movie Tries Too Hard With Over The Top Popcorn Bucket

The people behind Scary Movie feel like they are trying too hard, and that is especially true for their collectible popcorn bucket.

Published Thu, 21 May 2026 12:36:10 -0500

by Jeremy Konrad

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Article Summary

Scary Movie’s new collectible popcorn bucket pushes shock marketing so hard it feels more desperate than clever.
The over-the-top Scary Movie campaign leans on controversy and “cancel culture” bait instead of real comedy.
Scary Movie may still draw crowds, but the parody franchise’s envelope-pushing humor already feels dated.
With Scary Movie opening June 5, the biggest question is whether audiences will buy the hype or tune it out.

Scary Movie has never shied away from controversy, and it has leaned heavily into that reputation in the marketing of the new film, opening June 5. To me, it all feels like they are trying too hard. That was hammered home big time this afternoon when they revealed the collectible popcorn bucket for the film, which will be sold in theaters. Well, maybe sold in theaters. I don't see how they can really. The buclet is a…smoking device. Now, will you actually be able to use it that way? No, it's plastic; you would have to be a moron to try it. I take that back, TikTok will be full of people trying it.

Scary Movie Tries Too Hard With Over The Top Popcorn Bucket — Credit Paramount

Scary Movie Vs He-Man: Who You Got?

"Twenty-six years after outrunning a suspiciously familiar masked killer ("Ghostface"), the Core Four are back in the killer's crosshairs, and no horror movie IP is safe. Marlon Wayans ("Shorty"), Shawn Wayans ("Ray"), Anna Faris ("Cindy"), and Regina Hall ("Brenda") reunite in Scary Movie alongside returning favorites and fresh faces to slash through reboots, remakes, requels, prequels, sequels, spin-offs, elevated horror, origin stories, anything with the word legacy in it, and every "final chapter" that absolutely isn't final. Nothing is sacred. No trope survives. Every line gets crossed. The Wayans are back to cancel the Cancel Culture."

I really hope that Masters of the Universe destroys this film on June 5, but I don't think that is likely. I cannot stand the whole "Cancel the cancel culture" thing they are doing in the marketing for this movie. Sure, the posters have been on point, but everything else reeks of desperation. The Scary Movie franchise has been funny at times, but if we are being honest, a lot of their early-2000s jokes that pushed the envelope were pretty lame to begin with. Do they really think that parodying horror movies is going to have anyone clutching their pearls? I doubt it.